Conclusion
The ASUS GTX 670 DirectCu II TOP is one of the few cards on the market that offers something for everyone. It should be appealing to those who want top-tier performance without stepping up to a pricy GTX 680, there are enough features to keep overclockers content for weeks on end and silent PC enthusiasts will fall in love with its low acoustical footprint. With that being said, ASUS finds themselves fighting an uphill battle against some very stiff competition.
Let’s start with the obvious first: for a GTX 670, this card is one hell of a performer. An abnormally high core frequency pushes framerates into and beyond GTX 680 territory at nearly every resolution and IQ setting. NVIDIA’s flagship does pull ahead in cases where its additional cores can flex their muscles but even then, the DirectCu II TOP hangs on tenaciously. This is paired with an impressive list of features which help increase efficiency and should be able to aid overclocking enthusiasts in their quest to hit the highest clock speeds possible. However, don’t expect to use ASUS’ GPU Tweak to achieve those results (at least not in its current form) since it doesn’t allow the core to pass the 1359MHz mark.
Then there’s the one thing no one wants to talk about when reviewing overclocked GTX 670s: Gigabyte’s WindForce OC model. Is the DirectCu II TOP really worth $30 more than its reference-priced yet overclocked and custom cooled competitor from Gigabyte? If you want upgraded components and (possibly) a higher overclocking limit when using extreme forms of cooling, then the $30 may be money well spent. Otherwise, most gamers won’t notice a difference once the card is tucked away in their systems. The DirectCu II did however come to the table with lower temperatures which is something of an accomplishment considering this card’s higher Boost frequencies. But perhaps most importantly to anyone looking for a GPU in this category, the Gigabyte GTX 670 OC is far more readily available than ASUS’ card.
With the DirectCu II TOP, ASUS has a winner on their hands and they deserve credit for pushing the boundaries of GTX 670 performance. While the Gigabyte GTX 670 does provide similar performance and an awfully attractive price, we’d be inclined to side with ASUS for their top-tier components and more rational warranty, provided you can actually find the DirectCu II TOP in stock.
Conclusion
The ASUS GTX 670 DirectCu II TOP is one of the few cards on the market that offers something for everyone. It should be appealing to those who want top-tier performance without stepping up to a pricy GTX 680, there are enough features to keep overclockers content for weeks on end and silent PC enthusiasts will fall in love with its low acoustical footprint. With that being said, ASUS finds themselves fighting an uphill battle against some very stiff competition.
Let’s start with the obvious first: for a GTX 670, this card is one hell of a performer. An abnormally high core frequency pushes framerates into and beyond GTX 680 territory at nearly every resolution and IQ setting. NVIDIA’s flagship does pull ahead in cases where its additional cores can flex their muscles but even then, the DirectCu II TOP hangs on tenaciously. This is paired with an impressive list of features which help increase efficiency and should be able to aid overclocking enthusiasts in their quest to hit the highest clock speeds possible. However, don’t expect to use ASUS’ GPU Tweak to achieve those results (at least not in its current form) since it doesn’t allow the core to pass the 1359MHz mark.
Then there’s the one thing no one wants to talk about when reviewing overclocked GTX 670s: Gigabyte’s WindForce OC model. Is the DirectCu II TOP really worth $30 more than its reference-priced yet overclocked and custom cooled competitor from Gigabyte? If you want upgraded components and (possibly) a higher overclocking limit when using extreme forms of cooling, then the $30 may be money well spent. Otherwise, most gamers won’t notice a difference once the card is tucked away in their systems. The DirectCu II did however come to the table with lower temperatures which is something of an accomplishment considering this card’s higher Boost frequencies. But perhaps most importantly to anyone looking for a GPU in this category, the Gigabyte GTX 670 OC is far more readily available than ASUS’ card.
With the DirectCu II TOP, ASUS has a winner on their hands and they deserve credit for pushing the boundaries of GTX 670 performance. While the Gigabyte GTX 670 does provide similar performance and an awfully attractive price, we’d be inclined to side with ASUS for their top-tier components and more rational warranty, provided you can actually find the DirectCu II TOP in stock.
